


The Nature of Despair

by LawrenceFriday



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-01-01 08:16:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18332171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LawrenceFriday/pseuds/LawrenceFriday
Summary: Sixteen students awake on a bus. Are they headed for Hope's Peak Academy, or something more sinister?





	1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Hope’s Peak Academy. Dedicated to researching and growing talent. A guarantee of success in any future endeavors. Accepting of only the best in their fields, those who proved worthy of being called Ultimate.

It was...

Perfect.

Shizuka couldn’t contain herself. Even staring up at the magnificent clock tower was inspiring.  
Her path to entry wasn’t easy. She’d begun as a child, challenging men in the park even before she knew what the pieces were named. But even then, she had an almost preternatural skill on the board, moving pieces into position to trap her opponents before they could recognize their mistakes.

At the age of ten, she won her first park-side tournament. The greatest players in the city met every Saturday to challenge each other, and the girl in the sundress with messy black hair beat them, one after the other. Each month, men older than her grandfather placed their shogi sets in front of her, and she played brilliant games to beat each and every one.

When she received her Hope’s Peak letter, the men in Yoyogi Park called her Tensai Magomusume - Genius Granddaughter. She took the acceptance letter to every one of her shogi rivals, and they gifted her a bright smile.

Now, standing before the front gates,, Shizuka felt unworthy.

She had only beat old men with decrepit titles. She had never proven that she was good enough to challenge anyone in the rest of the country, let alone the world.

Shizuka stared at the messages on her phone.

“Go go girl go”  
“Come and get it”

She smiled, parsing the broken Japanese scrawled quickly across her phone.

“Thank you! I’m ready!”

The gates of Hope’s Peak Academy parted as she pushed forward. They seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, almost blinding. It was as if their magnificence was warping the world around them.  
Shizuka raised a hand to try to shield her eyes. It wasn't just bright. There was... something... wrong.

Before her eyes, the gates twisted into a spiral, spinning inward, and downward, and deeper and deeper into a dark point that swallowed up everything...  
\---

"Ow..." Shizuka groaned as she tried to force her eyes open. They didn't want to respond, At first, they were glued shut; then they squeezed open a tiny crack but wouldn't show anything beyond a multicolored blur. "My head..."

"Hey! Are you awake?" The blur in front of her swam into focus, revealing a pair of plain brown eyes gazing intently into her own.

She shook her head, trying to clear the fog that soaked through her thoughts. "I think so."

Seconds passed, and her thoughts and vision both sharpened. Now alert she looked over the boy in front of her. He was a few centimeters taller than her, with midnight blue hair parted slightly to the right and reaching halfway down his ears. Hanging down over his black tee-shirt was a silver necklace shaped into something she couldn't recognize. From her view, his shirt wasn't tucked into his faded jeans. He was frowning, watching her eyes dart up and down him. "Uh... is everything okay?"

Shizuka blushed and nodded. "Y-Yes, I'm alright." She glanced at her surroundings. "Where are we? This doesn't look like Hope's Peak."

The two of them were seated - or slumped, in Shizuka's case - on a wide leather seat, bolted to a metal wall on her left and a metal floor. Just across from them, another wide seat was attached to the opposite wall, leaving a space between them.

"I think we're on a bus," the boy said. He gestured behind them. There was a wall directly behind their seat, and aligned with aisle sat a window. Shizuka looked through it, watching as thick trees lined the dirt round they were apparently travelling.

She frowned. "How did I go from standing outside Hope's Peak to waking up on a bus?" Glancing down, she saw the same uniform she always wore to school - white buttoned shirt, pleated black skirt, black handkerchief with tan embroidering, socks and black shoes.

"You too?" From the seat in front of her, a girl popped up and rested her arms on the seat back. She flashed a wicked grin, and her golden eyes gleamed. "Maybe we've been abducted by a secret government task force looking for soldiers to fight a secret war. I bet they want to crack open our skulls and study our brains." She reached out a long, thin finger and tapped Shizuka on the forehead. "You look like you've got a nice juicy one."

A hand smacked the girl on the back of the head, and a boy slipped up next to her. "That's enough, Yamasaki-san." His round face broke into a wide smile. "We don't want to scare our new classmates!"

Shizuka frowned. "Classmates? Does that mean-"

The boy next to her nodded. "We were all supposed to start at Hope's Peak today, but we got to the front gates and... passed out, I guess." He motioned forward, and Shizuka stood up.

There were four more rows in front of hers, and she could see pairs of teenagers in all except the seat across from her. Some were hunched over, while others seemed to be chatting in small groups. Their appearances ranged from tall to short, skinny to heavy, pale to bronzed, and clean to almost disgusting.

At the sight of Shizuka, a girl sitting at the front of the bus clapped her hands. "Attention! Can I have your attention, everyone? Please!" It took a few moments, but all of them quieted their conversations and turned to her. "It looks like everyone is awake, so I think it's time we introduced ourselves. It's only polite, isn't it?"

She smiled a crisp, impossibly white smile and clapped perfectly manicured hands. "I'll start, then! My name is Minako Yamamoto!" Her crimson hair was cut into a short bob and looked as sharp as her uniform. Much like Shizuka, she wore a white buttoned shirt and black skirt, but her handkerchief was speckled with glistening pins of all shapes and sizes. Even her pale skin seemed to gleam. "I'm sure some of you have heard of me before, but for those who haven't, I was accepted into Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Debater. It's a pleasure to meet you all, and I hope we all get along!" Her emerald eyes seemed to shimmer with delight.

At the name, Shizuka's memory jumped. Minako Yamamoto was said to be the queen of the debate circuit. She'd lead her school to multiple victories, taking on multiple opponents at once and never losing control of the argument. Seasoned veterans feared her silver tongue, knowing that even the most stubborn ended up conceding defeat.

The boy sitting next to her stood up as she sat. He wore his sandy hair short but curly, and his white tank top showed off well-defined muscles. Beneath his fabric shorts, his legs were equally toned, and he seemed to stand in a way to accentuate his physique. "Yo, dudes. Ladies." He glanced at a pair of girls in one of the seats and winked. "You know me, you love me. Akira Matsuoka, basketball legend, and yes, I work out." He winked again at a different girl.

Matsuoka, the Ultimate Basketballer. Shizuka had heard the name, even though she wasn't much for sports. He was apparently a wizard with a ball, shooting and scoring from across the court. They said no defense could properly cover him; he could slip past any blockers and find even the smallest opening. They also said he was a shameless flirt, using his good-looks on top of his skill to become popular with girls across the country.

After striking another pose, Minako pulled him back down into their seat and pointed across the aisle. "That's enough, superstar. How about you, sir?"

The boy stood up, keeping a hand on the back of the seat to steady himself. His skin was bronze, revealing only pale flashes when he shifted to expose covered flesh. Bleached blonde hair poked out from under his white baseball cap. His outfit was almost aggressively casual; he wore a slightly wrinkled tee shirt and distressed jeans. “Hey. Kaoru Minami.”

Shizuka’s eyes widened, and she could feel her cheeks flush. This was *the* Kaoru Minami, the Ultimate Cameraman. He was famous in film, able to bring out a director’s vision before they even understood it. Writers, directors, and producers would credit him as the lynchpin of their creations. Studios across the world bid viciously for his work; having Kaoru Minami at the helm guaranteed a movie both critical and financial success. He was so skilled, even the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had called him a visionary. All of Shizuka’s favorite films, from thrilling action like “Deadline” to the inspiring romance of “Under the Snow”, had been shot by Kaoru Minami.

“No way!” Akira reached out a fist to bump. “Dude, ‘No Time to Reload’ was sick! How did you pull off those wicked high shots?”

Kaoru smiled and bumped back. “The studio wanted to green-screen it, but I told them we could get the shot from a helicopter in one take. Really, it was the stuntman who did the hard work. I just make sure we see them doing their stuff.”

Beside Kaoru a girl stood up. Her platinum blonde pigtails bounced with the movement of the bus. Her buttoned white shirt looked to be even sharper than Minako’s, and her black skirt was clung to her long legs. Faint makeup covered any flaws her face might have had, and her red lipstick popped against her pale skin. Most immediately captivating, though, was her figure; she was thin, with curves that the boys couldn’t stop ogling.

Her voice was chipper. “Hello, everyone! My name is Tsukiko Inoue, and I have the pleasure of being the Ultimate Waitress. Let’s all get along, okay?”

Another classmate whose reputation preceded her, Tsukiko worked at the most popular restaurant in all of Japan. She could handle an entire lunch by herself, moving at preternatural speed while still providing unparalleled service. Her kind eyes, bright smile, and superhuman good looks melted the hearts of anyone who sat at her tables. Rumor had it that salarymen would bankrupt themselves trying eat five or six meals a day at her restaurant.

Shizuka felt torn as she watched the Waitress bow, smiling brightly. Everything Tsukiko did and said radiated friendliness and warmth; still, the Shogi Player couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. The girl was impossibly beautiful.

Minako clapped her hands, breaking the boys out of their stupor, and pointed to the next seat in line. “Well then! Who’s next?”

The boy had to stand on the seat to be visible by Shizuka in the back. He waved a thin hand over his head and beamed. His slate-gray collared shirt - the same color as his short hair - hung loose on his scrawny frame, the sleeves pushed up past his elbows. Thick round glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. In an effort to overcome his short stature, he practically shouted. “Hello, hello, hello! I am Taiki Tanaka! You might not know my name, but you’ve seen my work! You might even live in it!”

His was a name Shizuka was expecting, although the Ultimate Architect looked nothing like she had pictured. The boy whose conceptual and drafting expertise had drawn demand from all of the biggest businesses in Japan, the genius who had designed a full quarter of Kyoto’s skyline, was this tiny kid? He didn’t even look old enough to be in high school.

“Sit down, you spaz.” The boy beside Taiki slammed a hand on the Architect’s shoulder and pushed him down into the seat. He wore his brown hair short, trimmed neatly at the tops of his ears. As he got to his feet, he towered over Taiki; it took Shizuka a moment to realize that he was actually right around her height. His black buttoned shirt was tucked into a pair of equally black pants, both looking crisp. Even his polished shoes were black. He stretched his neck and cleared his throat before sneering. “I’ll say this once. Sho Hamisaki. If you don’t know who I am, you aren’t worth my time.”

Unmerciful Hamisaki, the Ultimate Critic, scourge of the creative world. He’d started out writing book and film reviews for his school newspaper before being picked up by local and then national papers. People said he had perfect command of every medium, and nearly everyone agreed with his well-reasoned critiques. A positive review from Sho Hamisaki was a license to print money.

The only thing more famous than his reviews was his ego. He refused to explain himself to anyone, insisting that his opinions were above reproach. If he didn’t have some sort of incredible ability to cut directly to a work’s strengths and weaknesses, he would likely have been punched in the mouth ages ago - not that a few directors with unfavorable reviews hadn’t tried.

“Hey! Not cool, man!” Akira stood up, his fists balled. “You think you’re hot shit? Come say that to my face!”

A girl from the seat behind Sho placed one hand on his shoulder and waved the other at the Basketballer. “Come now. There’s no need to fight.” She smiled, her eyes warm and comforting. “We’re all proud of our talents. It’s why we’re here, after all. I’m sure you both have great things to contribute to all of us. We’re going to be classmates, and that means we should be friends.”

Sho scoffed as he pushed her hand away and sat down. “Oh, yes. The meathead obviously has so much to teach me. What are you, the Ultimate Naive Airhead?”

She sighed and adjusted her glasses. “Actually, I am Hibiki Honda, and I have the privilege of being the Ultimate Editor. I work with brilliant creative minds to fulfill their visions - and to make sure they impress you. As a matter of fact, I helped Taro Nanako just last year with ‘The Flavor of Coffee’, which I believe you called, and I quote, ‘a literary masterpiece’.”

Shizuka looked the Editor up and down. She wore her auburn hair in a complex braid on the back of her head, keeping it out of her face. Her skin was even paler than the white camisole she wore under a sea blue vest. Tucked into her breast pocket and behind her ear were pens of various colors, most prominently red and green. As all eyes fell upon her, she curtsied, blinking her silver eyes.

“Well. I’m loathe to admit it, but there is actually someone here who isn’t completely devoid of talent.” Sho lifted his hand to his chin, considering Hibiki. “If you could take Nanako from the dreck he first wrote to ‘The Flavor of Coffee’, you must be skilled indeed.”

Hibiki shook her head. “All I do is give my clients guidance. Anything I pull out of them was always there from the start. Some just need the right push.”

As she sat back down, a cry came up from the seat across from Sho and Taiki. “Hey! Don’t skip us! We’re important too!”

A girl slid off the seat to stand in the aisle. She was short, maybe 3 centimeters taller than Taiki, but she seemed to be jumping from foot to foot constantly to give herself more height. Her pink hair was pulled back into a long ponytail, held by a gold bow. She wore an ordinary school uniform under a jacket the same color as her hair. On one wrist was a high-tech watch; Shizuka faintly recognized it as a calculator watch.

She raised a hand straight up before dropping it to point directly in front of her. “Here’s my name, don’t forget it! Fuyuko Nanako, queen of quotients, duchess of digits, enumerator extraordinaire! That’s right, I’m the Ultimate Accountant!”

Shizuka had heard rumors of a young girl advising top financial companies, but she’d figured they were just exaggerations. This girl’s boundless energy seemed like an odd fit for someone who sat around crunching numbers all day. Still, she looked too enthusiastic to be lying.

“Hey, Yu-chan, I want a chance to introduce myself too.” The girl sharing Fuyuko’s seat grabbed her arm and pulled her back before standing up. Her long black hair was streaked with blue. She accentuated her school uniform with gold bangle bracelets and a silver necklace ending in a blue gemstone. Smiling, she gave a small wave. “Hi, new friends! I’m Hikari Koizumi, this year’s Ultimate Lucky Student. I may not have a great talent like you all do, but I like to think of myself as the Ultimate Friend. I hope you all will, too!”

That’s right. Shizuka had heard of this; each year, Hope’s Peak picked a name out of all upcoming high school students to represent good luck. She wasn’t quite sure that luck was much of a talent, but she hardly had room to talk. All she had ever done was win a board game. Hikari seemed nice enough.

“Don’t call me Yu-chan!” Fuyuko pouted. “It’s Fuyuko! Got it, Hi-chan?”

A nasally laugh drew everyone’s attention to the seat behind the bickering duo. It had only one inhabitant, but he took up nearly the entire seat. He was easily 65 kilograms overweight, with a stubby neck and legs. His green hair stuck out at all angles, looking like an unkempt shrub or a bird’s nest, and it had an almost greasy sheen to it. Round glasses with thick lenses were smashed up against his face. He didn’t wear a uniform, instead sticking to a black tee shirt with a winking emoji on the front. In his hands he kept fiddling with some kind of video game.

Minako clapped her hands. “Well then! Would you like to introduce yourself next, sir?”

The enormous boy shook his head. “N-No, not really.” His voice was also nasally, with an obnoxious high pitch.

“Come now!” The Debater clapped again. “We’re all going to be classmates, so it’s only polite!”

Sighing, the boy pushed himself to his feet. “Um. Hello. I’m Ryuichi Maeda. They said I’m the Ultimate Recluse.”

Sho scoffed. “Luck is one thing, but apparently being a shut-in is praiseworthy now? Hope’s Peak has lowered its standards.”

Ryuichi shrunk back. “I-I’m actually really good with computers, but they said they already had a Programmer, and I never leave my house anyway, and it sounded like a chance to become better…” He dropped into his seat, curled up against the wall, and returned to his game.

With a glare at Sho, Minako applauded. “I think you’ll be a great classmate, Ryuichi. I’m looking forward to spending our school lives together.”

The Recluse popped his head up. “D-Do you mean it?”

“Of course I do.” Minako turned back to the girl sitting next to Hibiki. “I believe it’s your turn now, miss.”

She wore a lab coat, stained at the wrists and collar with strange colors. Her violet hair was pulled back into a bun, sitting neatly atop the back of her head. Behind her square glasses, her blue eyes scanned across her classmates. A pair of safety goggles hung around her neck. She gave a lopsided grin as she raised two fingers in a wave. “Yeah. Yasu Kato, Ultimate Chemist. Sup.”

This was another who Shizuka only vaguely knew. Before she could try to remember anything, Hikari shouted in excitement. “Omigosh! You’re the Belle of the Beakers! I heard you discovered a new distillation process for... something! And you reverse-engineered a top-secret formula in your garage with cleaning supplies and cream soda! And you developed a... what was it called?”

Yasu waved her hand at her throat to cut the Lucky Student off. “Woah, chill. Okay, yeah. I did work on a new distillation procedure, and it was orange soda, not cream.” She grinned again. “And I can tell that those bracelets aren’t real gold.”

Hikari’s eyes grew wide. “Woah, really? Is it the molecular structure? Are they reacting with the air?”

“No, doofus, the paint’s peeling off.” Yasu chuckled as she sat back down.

Minako jumped back up, interrupting the Lucky Student inspecting her fake jewelry. “Okay! You there! You’re sitting all alone there. Would you like to introduce yourself?”

The seat diagonally across from Shizuka’s held only one student, but he wasn’t the slob that Ryuichi looked. Instead, he was a slab of muscle chiseled into a high school teenager. His white shirt seemed about burst beneath his bulk, and he left his tie undone and loosely draped over his shoulders. Faint scars spidered across his face, and his buzzed maroon hair was occasionally interrupted by scar tissue. As he stood up, he spit before narrowing his green eyes at the students around him.

“I don’t got much use for talkin’, so you listen once, got it? It’s Nori Yamauchi. Those eggheads say I’m the Ultimate Bully. But the way I see it, I’m here to remind you nerds of your place. You’re all smartwads who got great talents or whatever? Yeah, go ahead and critic or debate or count my fist out of your face, got it?” He cracked his knuckles and then his neck before sitting back down with a scowl.

“W-Well,” Minako stammered. “I’m sure you’ll find we’re all... um...” She pointed the pair sitting in front of Shizuka. “How about you, sir?”

The boy with the round face stood up. He wore a yellow, short-sleeved collared shirt and tan slacks. Tied smartly around his neck was a red tie with golden stripes. His silver hair was slicked back, practically plastered to his head. As he broke into a wide smile, Shizuka could see that some of his teeth were crooked. “Hey there, everybody! You can call me Hinata Tsukada! I can proudly say I’m the Ultimate Salesman!”

Once again, Hikari squealed. “I know you! My dad bought his car from you! He said you’re the best negotiator he’d ever seen! Your family owns all of those markets, and you’re super successful, and-”

Hinata held up a hand and chuckled. “Easy there, Koizumi-san. I just make sure people get what they need.”

A sudden hand on his shoulder made him jump, and the girl sitting next to him yanked him down into the seat. “Time’s up! My turn now!”

Her glossy black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She wore what appeared to be a black jumpsuit, hugging tight to her body. Around her waist was a silver belt, covered in pouches. A pair of silver crescent moons dangled from her ears. “None of you are cops, right? You have to tell me if you’re a cop.” She snickered to herself before striking a pose straight of an anime. “Right! Before you stands the scourge of the Tokyo police, the phantom who strikes from the shadows, vanishing without a trace. Yes, it is I, Chicako Yamasaki, the Ultimate Thief!”

Shizuka boggled at this. The girl had the audacity to announce herself as a thief? And Hope’s Peak was okay with this?

After a few moments, Chicako appeared to grow bored and sat back down. Minako, clearly nonplussed, shook her head and pointed to Shizuka and the boy next to her. “Well then, I believe it’s just the two of you.”

He stood up first and gave a half-hearted wave. “Um, hi. I’m Katsu Hakamachi, the Ultimate Mathematician.”

Finally, another name Shizuka recognized. He was a mathematical prodigy, blowing through algebra and geometry to reach calculus in middle school. There were rumors that he had solutions to some of the Millennium Problems - the problems so difficult, an American university had offered a million dollars to anyone who could produce a solution.

Katsu sat down, and Shizuka stood up. “Hello, everyone. I’m Shizuka Nishimura, and I’m the Ultimate Shogi Player.” She glanced around the bus for reactions; Hikari squealed, Hibiki gave her a warm smile, and Sho rolled his eyes. After a moment, she sat back down as well.

Minako clapped. “Excellent! Now that we’ve been introduced, we ca-”

She nearly lost her balance as the bus came to a sudden stop. At the front, the door opened with a hiss. Everyone stared at it silently before Kaoru pushed himself and walked over. After leaning out, he ducked back in to give a thumbs-up before stepping out. The rest of them followed suit, giving Nori and Ryuichi a wide berth. Shizuka was the last. Before she left, she tried to look at the driver; unfortunately, black walls completely surrounded the driver’s seat. She knocked on them, but she received no response.


	2. Chapter 2

Shizuka stepped off the bus onto dirt. The road extended forward roughly 150 meters, ending in front of a large wooden building. It was only one story, but it was wide, with tall windows evenly spaced around its perimeter. Mounted on each corner of the roof was a camera. A sign hung over thee double doors simply read “Camp Cocoon”.

“A summer camp?” Akira cocked his head. “Did they really take us to a summer camp?”

Confused, Shizuka turned to try to ask the bus driver; instead; she saw a massive gate finish closing, Cutting across the road and extending for hundreds of meters in either direction were chain-link fences, probably 25 meters tall and topped with spikes. A green tarp covered the outside, making it impossible for her to see through. Out of the corner of her eye she could see two more fences, perpendicular to this once. All three had cameras, identical to the ones on the mess hall, at periodic intervals. It was as though they had been dropped into a massive cage.

Hibiki’s voice was slightly shaky. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.”

They clustered around a map posted just outside the large building. Camp Kuma was set up in a cross shape, with lines blocking it into five distinct squares, and a smaller rectangle branching off the bottom square to the left. A star on the bottom of the cross proclaimed them to be standing outside the mess hall. Off to the right was a medical tent, just north of a cabin marked “Tech”. On the other side of the road was a wide open parade field. Behind the mess hall was a camp store. The bottom left rectangle showed only 16 small cabins, arranged in two rows of eight, labelled “Student Lodging”.

All of the other sections of the map were blank. A small box in the upper left claimed that the map was a work in progress.

“This is weird.” Fuyuko stuck her hands in the pockets of her jacket and slumped back. “Why are we here? We’re supposed to be at Hope’s Peak!”

Minako clapped to draw everyone’s attention. “Alright! I have a plan. We’ll split into groups to investigate. We need three - one to check the mess hall and camp store, one to check the medical tent, and one to look into lodging. Do we have any volunteers? I’ll be happy to lead the mess hall team.”

Chicako grinned mischievously. “That includes the store, right? Yeah, I’ll go.”

With a sigh, Hinata raised his hand. “I suppose I’d better go and keep an eye on her.”

“And I’ll round out the team,” Hibiki added. “The mess hall should have a kitchen, shouldn’t it? I may not be a professional chef, but I can certainly try.”

The four moved over into a group. Minako smiled and clapped. “Well then! Who would like to form the medical tent and A/V cabin team?”

Yasu shrugged and raised a tanned hand. “Yeah, me. Should probably be somebody who has some idea of what’s in it.”

A cough drew attention to Ryuichi. “U-Um. I can look into the tech place. Maybe there’s a computer or a phone.”

Tsukiko bowed. “I will help you, Yasu. I’m trained in first aid, so I may be able to assess our ability to deal with injuries.”

Coughing and trying to shrug nonchalantly, Akira said, “Yeah, I’ll help, too. You ladies are probably going to need a strong guy to help you, y’know, lift things, and carry things, and-”

Minako sighed and nodded. “Then it’s just the lodging team. Who wants to take the lead? Sho, how about you?”

The Critic sneered. “Of course not. I’m going to be doing my own investigation. I work better without... distractions.” Without waiting for a response, he folded his arms over his chest, turned, and walked off.

“He may be a stuck-up douche, but he’s right,” Nori grunted. “You losers want to run around, do it yourselves.” He leaned up against the map and started examining his nails.

Kaoru hesitantly raised his hand. “Actually, if it’s okay, I’d like to go off on my own as well. There are cameras all around this camp, and I want to see if I can learn anything about them.”

Sighing, Minako sai, “I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to - at least today. Does anyone else want to take charge?”

“Me!” Fuyuko jumped, waving her arm over her head. “I’ll be the leader!”

As soon as she stepped forward, Taiki dashed up beside her. “Yes! That sounds good to me!”

“And to me!” Hikari sprang to the Accountant’s other size.

Grinning, Fuyuko held a hand out to Katsu. “How about you, Katsu-kun? Come join me?”

The Mathematician froze for a moment before nodding and walking over. “Uh, sure. I guess I can.” He turned back to Shizuka. “You’re coming too, right?”

She raised her hand to her chin, pausing a second to think, and they shook her head. “Sorry, but there’s something I want to check out. I’ll catch up later, though.”

For the briefest moment, Katsu’s face fell, then he smiled and nodded. “O-Okay, sure. Later, then.”

The groups split up, leaving Shizuka alone. She turned and walked back down the dirt road, kicking up small clouds with every step. On either side of the road trees of different shapes swayed in the light breeze. Past them were the fences; she could see the tops of more trees outside. She mentally kicked herself for not paying more attention when one of her elderly shogi opponents took her on a nature hike. All she could say was that they weren’t cherry trees.

She stopped in front of the gate that had let the bus in and out. Banging on it and shouting produced no response, so she leaned up against it and tried to peer through the gap between the gate and the fence. The road continued back out, surrounded by trees, until it vanished into the shade. She couldn’t be sure, but Shizuka didn’t see anyone outside that might have opened the gate for them.

Frustrated, she turned around and walked back. She stopped at the dirt path leading off to the left. Scuffs and faint footprints told her that someone had come this way. She followed the path for a few minutes before hearing loud voices.

“Wooooah! That’s so cool, Ka-kun!” Hikari was even louder here than on the bus. Maybe out in the open she didn’t bother to remain quiet.

The dirt path stretched straight out until it hit another fence, at least 200 meters. In rows on either side of the path were small log cabins, no bigger than a studio apartment. She glanced at the closest one on the right. Beside the door was a slick black panel, looking terribly out of place on such a rustic building. The door itself sported a white plaque with a stylized picture on it; looking closer, it appeared to be Akira, drawn as though he were in some old video game. She shrugged and kept walking.

Further down the path, two cabins facing each other were open. Standing in front of the one on the right were Taiki and Fuyuko, both leaning forward to peer inside. Shizuka called out to them as she approached. “Hey! What are you looking at?”

They turned, and Hikari peeked out from around the door. “Shizuka-chan! We have cabins! And they’re full of cool stuff!”

She walked around them to see Katsu inside. The floor of the cabin was carpeted black, with silver characters scattered in a pattern. Shizuka faintly recognized some of them as math symbols; there was a plus sign, and a percent sign, and some she couldn’t name but knew were part of calculus. The walls were covered in blue wallpaper. At the back was a single window. A bed, with black sheets and silver pillows, lay against the wall.

“Oh!” Katsu looked up from searching through the dresser. “Shizuka! Did you finish your investigation?”

She shook her head. “Not quite. I’m still looking around. Is this cabin yours?”

“Yep!” Hikari answered. “Everybody’s got their own! It’s got your picture on it, and you can put your hand on the black thing to unlock it. It’s really high-tech for a summer camp!”

Shizuka looked around. Across from Katsu’s cabin was another that lay open. Inside, the room looked ordinary - a wooden bed with white sheets, a plain white dresser - save for posters plastered on the walls. It was hard to tell, but Shizuka thought she saw the poster for “Under the Snow” as well as Akira’s middle school team. Hikari popped up beside her. “That’s my room! It’s cozy, and somebody already brought my posters!”

The cabin beside Hikari’s bore a picture of Shizuka herself. WIth trepidation, she stepped up and placed her hand on the black panel. Something inside clicked, and the door swung toward her. She grabbed the handle and pulled.

Whatever she was expecting, this wasn’t quite it. The floor was wood, with a familiar grid pattern painted across it. Her bed bore beige sheets, and two large pillows sat at the head. One was stitched with the kanji for rook; the other was a knight. Across from the bed, tucked into the corner, was a polished shogi board.

She shut the door and turned around. Katsu was still in his room, back to searching through the dresser. Hikari and Fuyuko were standing in front of the cabin beside Katsu’s. She could hear Taiki inside, boasting about the construction of... something.

With a sigh, she walked back down the path to the main section of the camp.


	3. Chapter 3

(( Check the comments for author's notes! ))

As Shizuka got back to the main road, she looked to her left. What the map had called the parade field was simply a wide open clearing. Most of it was grass, although off to the far side was a ring of dirt surrounded by stones. The entire thing looked pristine; picnic fields she’d been to with her parents had often had areas worn down by constant use.

Across the street from the far end of the parade field was a medium-sized building, maybe twice as large as her cabin. It had no windows, but from under the door she could see light. Cautiously, she pushed open the door.

Two rows of desks lined opposite walls, each with a desktop computer seated on it. The monitors were the only source of light; the room’s only inhabitant cleared preferred the dark. “Ryuichi? Is that you?”

The heavyset boy swiveled his chair to face her, the glow from the monitor reflecting off his glasses. “O-Oh, Shizuka. Th-They have computers here!” He broke into a smile. “N-No internet, but there are programming suites on here! I-I can make us something!”

Nodding, Shizuka backed out of the room. “That’s... great, Ryuichi. I’m going to check on the others.” She closed the door, leaving him to his makeshift cave.

Past the tech cabin was a large tent, made of a tan canvas and staked to the ground. A large red cross was stitched into the side next to the door. Sitting on the ground in front of it was Akira, picking at blades of grass and looking sour. He perked up as she approached. “Hey, Shizuka! Man, am I glad to see you.”

“Let me guess. Yasu kicked you out,” she replied flatly.

He pouted. “I knocked over *one* tube-thing! How was I supposed to know they were glass?”

Sighing, she pushed past him into the tent. It was about the size of her family’s kitchen, with room for a cot, a desk, and a cabinet full of supplies. At first glance, she could see rows of pill bottles, boxes of bandages, a container of syringes, and other boxes and plastic tubs she couldn’t identify. A sticker on the front proclaimed the cabinet to be a biohazardous waste hazard. On the desk she could see notebooks and binders in stacks, with a can full of pens in one corner. There was even a small microscope.

“Hmmm. That’s interesting.” Yasu was rummaging through an open first aid kit hanging on one of the support poles. Her hands were covered in thin blue surgical gloves. Behind her Tsukiko stood with her hands folded behind her back. She smiled and nodded as Shizuka approached.

“Did you find anything?” Shizuka asked.

Yasu turned, her blue eyes gleaming. “This is way too well stocked for a simple camp first aid tent.” She gestured to the cabinet. “They have what you’d expect - gauze and cold packs, and even epinephrine for severe allergies - but then there’s stuff way too advanced for somewhere like this. There are vials of snake venom to make antivenom. That’s way too crazy.”

Shizuka raised an eyebrow. “You can tell all that? Aren’t you a chemist?”

“Medicine’s a hobby.” Yasu gave her a sly grin and winked. “It’s like a threesome with chemistry and biology.”

“R-Right,” Shizuka stammered. She backed away, nearly running into Tsukiko. “How about you? Anything?”

The Waitress shook her head. “It’s just as Yasu said. The supplies here are well beyond my training, so I’m trusting her conclusions.”

Nodding, Shizuka through pushed the back flaps of the tent. Barely two meters away was another fence. It looked exactly the same as the others, but she shook it anyway. The metal rattled and the tarp rustled, but it stood firm. She sighed and followed it to her left. Once again she ran into trees; there weren’t too many on the inside of the fence, compared to the outside, and they didn’t seem to be tall enough for someone to climb and escape.

She walked around the right side of the mess hall and saw, behind the mess hall, one final building. It was the size of the tech cabin, with a roof painted yellow. Someone had created a large fake one-yen coin, sticking out of one corner of the roof. Shizuka pulled the door open and stepped inside.

The store was well lit, although somewhat cramped. A row of vending machines stood against the left wall, extending to the counter at the back. Along the right wall were cabinets, filled with assorted bric a brac. There were tee shirts sporting the name of the camp, leather wallets, swimsuits, canteens, and craft kits. All of them sported large padlocks, one of which Chicako was attempting to pick. She held a pair of thin metal pieces, sticking her tongue out as she worked them into the lock.

“What are you doing?” Shizuka frowned.

“Waah!” The other girl dropped her tools and spun around. “Don’t scare me like that! If you were the fuzz, I might have used my Shadow Step to drag us into the Negarealm!”

Shizuka stood stupefied. “...I don’t think I understood half of those words.”

“Don’t pay her much mind, Nishimura-san.” Hinata gave a wave from his spot leaning against the wall. “She just likes to confuse people.”

Chicako blew him a raspberry. “You’re no fun.”

Raising her hand to her chin, Shizuka looked them over. “You two are awfully friendly. Did you know each other before today?”

Hinata chuckled and shook his head. “We were the first to wake up on the bus. It must have been an hour, just the two of us, and if you can’t make a connection in an hour, you can’t make it in sales. I figured her out pretty quick.”

“Did not!” The Thief had picked up her tools and returned to fighting the lock. “I am mysterious! The Tokyo police have chased me for years and learned nothing! I am an enigma wrapped in a disguise hidden by darkness!”

Shizuka tried to hide a small smile behind her hand. “Why are you trying to break into that, anyway? Do you want a shirt that badly?”

“These stupid things? Of course not!” Chicako flicked her head back indignantly, making her ponytail smack Shizuka’s leg. “It’s the principle of the thing! There’s no lock that can keep me out!”

Shizuka turned to Hinata. “Is there anyone actually running this store?”

The Salesman shook his head. “It was empty when we got here. I called out, but I haven’t seen hide nor hair of anyone.”

“Well, keep at it. And try to stay out of the Negaworld, okay?” She turned to leave, ignoring Chicako’s cry of “Negarealm!”

Directly across from the camp store was the back entrance to the mess hall. Shizuka pushed open the double doors. The hall was large, easily the size of her middle school’s cafeteria. Just like it, there were rows of tables stretching through the bulk of the hall. Unlike the cafeteria, they looked more like picnic tables, with the chairs replaced with benches attached at the bottom. On the far right wall was a long counter, with a few unplugged hot plates set on top.

Minako was looking the area over, opening drawers in the back side of the counter. She popped up as Shizuka walked over. “Hello, Shizuka! How is your investigation going?”

Sighing, she shook her head. “Not great, I’m afraid. Did you find anything here? Where’s Hibiki?”

The Debater pointed to a door behind the counter. “She’s in the kitchen, checking our supplies. If this is a real camp, it should have plenty of food and water. It’s important that we stay healthy if we’re going to stay here.”

“Are we?” Shizuka asked. “This is starting to worry me. Why aren’t we at Hope’s Peak? Who took us here?”

Minako nodded. “It concerns me too, but we should be prepared for anything. I’m sure we’ll learn what’s going very soon.” She glanced at the wall, where a large digital clock hung. “And speaking of soon, it’s time for us to meet up outside. I’ll get Hibiki, so you wait out front, okay?”

“Right,” Shizuka agreed. She waved as Minako walked into the kitchen, then made her way through the front doors.

Nori had vanished. In his place, Katsu, Hikari, Taiki, and Fuyuko stood out by the map, watching as the Accountant showed off her watch. “It runs off battery or solar, and it has a radio function that connects it to an atomic clock so it never runs slow, and it has this slide-out piece so I can switch to scientific when I’m doing linear regressions, and-”

When Katsu saw Shizuka, he waved her over. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

She shook her head, seeing Fuyuko’s face turn red out of the corner of her eye. “No. I’ll explain when everybody else gets here.”

As if on cue, Yasu and Tsukiko appeared from around the mess hall, dragging Akira and Ryuichi behind them. Minako and Hibiki walked out of the hall’s double doors, and Kaoru, Hinata, and Chicako walked around the far side, the Salesman using a hand on the Thief’s shoulder to steer her.

Smiling wide, the Debater clapped. “Okay, that’s everyone who was investigating aside from Sho and Nori, right? Let’s all report our findings. Team leaders?”

Fuyuko jumped, waving her hand over her head. “Team Prime here! We discovered something incredibly important. We all have cabins! They’re locked based on our handprints, and they were specially made just for each of us.”

“We have a team name?” Hikari asked?

The Accountant nodded. “Of course! All of our talents have to do with numbers - Katsu and I manipulate them, Taiki uses them for designing building, and luck is basically just statistics - so we’re Team Prime!”

Taiki smiled. “I like it! Go Team Prime!”

Yawning, Yasu waved. “We don’t have a team name, but we found supplies in the medical tent. You probably want to stay away if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s pretty dangerous, with the snake venom and adrenaline shots.”

Tsukiko nodded, giving a small bow. “I agree with Yasu. We should stay away unless it’s absolutely necessary. Perhaps Yasu and I could provide any first aid we need.”

The Chemist shrugged. “Works for me.” She nodded her head towards Ryuichi. “How about you, big guy?”

He shrunk back a bit as eyes fell on him. “J-Just some computers. Pretty powerful ones, a-actually. There’s no internet, though. Just a local wireless network. M-Maybe we could set up a machine in every cabin...”

Minako smiled. “We’ll look into that, Ryuichi, thank you. As for my team, here are our results. The mess hall is able to handle a massive group for meals. We’ll have no problems taking care of ourselves. Isn’t that right, Hibiki?”

With a nod, the Editor stepped forward. “The kitchen is extremely well stocked. I believe it can accomodate anyone’s eating preferences or requirements. Does anyone here have any? Are there any vegetarians among us, or perhaps anyone with a food allergy?”

Kaoru raised his hand. “No dairy for me, please.”

She nodded. “That’s fine. Shall we make a point to have meals together? It seems like a good way for us to keep track of everyone.”

Minako grinned. “I was going to suggest that, but we can talk everyone’s finished. Hinata? Did you and Chicako find anything in the store?”

The Thief pouted. “Nothing good. The loot there is trash tier, and their stupid locks were made by wizards or something.”

Hinata clapped her on the shoulder and gave a full belly laugh. “No, all we found were camp souvenirs and a few vending machines. Nobody at the helm, either.”

At that, Shizuka cleared her throat. “Actually, that’s what I was looking for. There’s no sign of anyone but us here. The bus left as soon as we got off, and there’s giant fences all around the camp. No one seems to be here running this camp. The only way I’ve found in or out is through that gate, and it’s locked. I don’t even know if anyone besides the bus driver knows we’re here.”

Kaoru shook his head. “No, there definitely is. I couldn’t reach it to take a closer look, but I’m sure that the camera up there is recording. It doesn’t have any physical storage I can see, so I’m betting it’s being broadcasted somewhere. Someone’s keeping an eye on us.”

Without warning, a crackle erupted from somewhere, and a strange voice spoke. “Ah-hem. Testing, testing, 1, 2.” It was irritating, with a high pitch and a childish cadence. “Attention, campers! All of you, head to the parade field immediately! Your head counselor demands it! Anyone who disobeys will be punished, and you don’t want your first day of camp to end that badly, do you? Upupupu!”

Everyone glanced between each other, but no one moved.

“What the heck was that?” Fuyuko exclaimed.

A few murmurs bounced around before Minako clapped. “Alright, calm down, everyone. It sounds like someone’s here to look after us. I’m sure they can answer all of our questions, so let’s head over. It’s not that far. Besides,” she smiled and gave an exaggerated wink, “it really would be terrible if someone got stuck on cleaning duty the first day.”

Some grumbling, everyone followed the Debater across the street to the field. They clustered in front of the only notable landmark - the fire pit. After a minute, Nori trudged out from around the tech cabin, and Sho strode in from the road leading to the cabins. Neither spoke as they joined the group. FInally regrouped, they all stood silently, passing glances between them.

As Kaoru opened his mouth to spoke, the strange voice burst out again. “At last, you bastards, it’s time to start!”

Fr3om seemingly nowhere, a figure dropped in front of the fire pit. Shizuka first thought it was a stuffed toy - it was the size of a large prize from a carnival or festival - but it looked just too strange. It was a bear, but its left and right halves were different; its right was plain white with a black button eye, but the left side was pitch black, with an eye framed by a red slash-looking mark. Everyone stared, dumbfounded, and then it got to its feet and spoke.

"Yes, brats, it is I, your headmaster and head counselor, Monokuma!" As the thing spoke, its mouth grew into a terrifying grin. The left half opened wide, revealing a row of pointed teeth.

Sho let out a loud snort. "This little charade is foolish and pointless. Quit your childishness and come out."

It narrowed its eyes, then threw its arms into the air and roared, "I'm not a child! I'm a bear! And you'd better respect me, Sho Hamisaki. I am your headmaster and head camp counselor, and I won't hesitate to punish you if you step out of line!" It raised a paw, sunlight glinting off its claws.

Hibiki stepped forward and curtsied. "Pardon me, Mr. Monokuma, but I'm not certain I understand. Shouldn't we be meeting with our chaperone? Or perhaps someone from Hope's Peak? This entire situation is rather confusing."

"You already are!" The bear returned to its hideous grin. "I'm the head counselor of Camp Kuma, and I'm the new headmaster of Hope's Peak! That means you brats have to answer to me!"

After a moment of stunned silence, Yasu began to laugh. "Oh man, you got us good. I gotta hand it to you, this is a hell of a prank. A+, perfect."

"How many times do I have to tell you brats?" It brandished its claws again. "I don't joke, and I don't play pranks. I'm your headmaster and head counselor here at Camp Kuma."

Minako stepped forward. “You... really are the adult supervision we have here at this camp?”

“Yahoo!” It returned that devilish grin. “I sure am! I’ve set up this wonderful endless camping trip for you ungrateful bastards. No more school, no more homework, no more worrying about what you’ll do for your pointless futures. Just Camp Kuma forever!”

Taiki turned pale. “E-Endless? Forever? What? You can’t be serious.”

The thing narrowed its eyes. “Don’t you backtalk me, Taiki Tanaka. I’m the one who decides how miserable your time here can be. And I’m the one who decides when you get to leave, too!”

At this, everyone fell silent. “Then, Mr. Monokuma,” Hinata posited, “how do we earn our way out?”

Somehow, its grin grew even wider. “Simple. I can’t abide anyone who breaks my glorious camp’s rules. This isn’t some patch of lawless wilderness. I’m a bear, not an animal. So, anyone who disrupts this camp’s order and gets away with will be allowed to leave this camp forever.”

Chicako snickered. “So, I just have to steal something from the store and I can go? Geeze, this is the worst escape game ever.”

It shook its head. “No no no. You can’t just break a small rule like that. That would be boring!” It spread its arms wide. “There’s only one rule that can earn you your freedom. You have to murder another camper and get away with it!”

No one spoke. No one even breathed.

“Stabbing, beating, shooting, strangling, crushing, the messier the better! In this Summer Camp of Mutual Killing, anything you can think of is fair game! As your head counselor, I decree that anyone who can get away with murder will be allowed to leave Camp Kuma!”

“Hey! Stop calling it that! And stop calling yourself head counselor!” The voice barked out from behind them, lower and more menacing. “That is my job!”

They spun around to another of the strangest sights in Shizuka’s life.

Like Monokuma, it was divided in half, black and white exactly like the bear. This, instead, had the snout, claws, and fangs of a vicious wolf. Its paws were thinner but wider, and it had a massive bushy tail that dragged on the ground. “I am Monokami, and I am the head counselor of Camp Kami!”

The bear cocked its head to the side, raising its white paw to its mouth. “Wha? What are you doing here, cousin? This is my game.”

“You never do this right. I am taking over so this will not be a total failure.” The wolf left its mouth open, a long pink tongue hanging out between two fangs.

Squeaking in fear, Fuyuko dashed behind Katsu, clinging to his arm. “First a bear telling us to kill each other, and now a wolf?”

Monokuma glared at the new arrival. “Hey! This is tradition! You can’t just mess with it! Besides, it’s not like you’ve been successful either!”

The wolf raised a paw, claws glinting. “You dare challenge me? Fine. We will make a true game of it.” It swept a paw across the group of students. “I will take half. You will take half. We will see whose despair is stronger.”

“Eh? A game?” Monokuma’s eyes seemed to sparkle. “I see! Yes, cousin, that does sound like fun.” He raised his arms into the air. “I, head counselor-”

“NO!” Monokami snarled. “We share responsibility, little cousin. We are co-counselors.”

With a sigh, Monokuma continued. “I, co-counselor Monokuma, hereby decree that Camp Kuma-”

“Kami,” Monokami interjected.

“...Camp Kumakami, shall split into two teams, as decided by myself and co-counselor Monokami, for the purpose of generating lots and lots of lovely despair!”

Nori stepped forward and cracked his knuckles. “Look, freaks, I don’t give a shit what you think you’re doing, but if you don’t shut the hell up and let me go-”

Monokuma cocked his head, then turned to Monokami. “Ah, cousin. It looks like we have someone who wants to volunteer to show what happens to little bastards who break the rules.”

“Yes, it would be my pleasure.” Monokami grinned a wide, toothy grin. Suddenly, in his paws was a massive shotgun. The barrel gleamed, shining bright into everyone’s eyes. He leveled it at the Bully. “The first rule of Camp Kumakami - violence against the co-counselors is strictly forbidden. And the punishment - for all rules - is execution!”

Eyes widen, Nori held up his hands and stumbled back. “Woah, hey, I didn’t do nothing!”

The wolf stared Nori down for a moment before lowering the gun. “True.. for now.” He raised a paw to point at the Bully. “In fact, I think I want you on my team.”

“Wait! That’s not fair!” Monokuma shouted. “You interrupted my grand despair-inducing plan, so I get to pick my team first!”

Snarling, Monokami groaned. “Fine. Just pick already.”

The bear looked back and forth over the group before pointing. “Akira Matsuoka. Tsukiko Inoue. Hinata Tsukada. Kaoru Minami. Hibiki Honda. Hikari Koizumi. Katsu Hakamachi. And...” he paused for a painfully long moment, “Shizuka Nishimura. You’re Kuma Kubs from now on!”

Akira stamped his foot. “Hey! Don’t I get a say in this?”

Monokuma grinned. “Nope! We’re in charge, so we make the rules! And I say you’re Team Kuma!”

The wolf let his tongue hang out as he jabbed a paw at each student in turn. “Nori Yamauchi. Fuyuko Nanako. Taiki Tanaka. Minako Yamamoto. Ryuichi Maeda. Chicako Yamasaki. Sho Hamisaki. Yasu Kato. You are now Kami Kubs. Serve me well!”

“And now for the main event!” Monokuma reached around his waist and produced eight small black devices. “These are the Kuma Kubs’ Monophones! They have the rules for Camp Kumakami, as well as important functions for camp living!”

Monokami held out his own set. “They are able to control the lights and temperature.of your cabin. They have a chat program that can communicate with every other camper, including a secure chat for each team. They are preset with alarms for the morning and evening announcements. They may have further features as your camp co-counselors see fit.”

Hesitantly, the students walked up and took them. Shizuka tapped the screen, and it hummed to life. The first screen showed kanji spelling out her name, and then it loaded a simple menu - rules, chat, cabin, time.

“Make sure to read the rules carefully, Kuma Kubs!” Monokuma grabbed his sides in a hearty laugh. “I don’t want to execute one of my team for something silly like disobeying the co-counselors!”

The two beasts grabbed each other’s paws and leapt into the air. Within seconds, they had disappeared into the rapidly darkening sky. The sun had already dipped to the tops of the gate surrounding the camp.

Minako clapped to catch everyone’s attention. “Alright! I think we’ve had a busy day. Let’s ignore everything those strange creatures said and just get a good night’s sleep. We can worry about all of this in the morning.”

Muttering in agreement, they walked as a group back down the path to the cabins. Each gave a half-hearted farewell, pressed their hands to the locks, and went inside.

Shizuka looked over her room one more time, and then she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter One - Lost in the Woods: Daily Life**

“Ahem! Attention, Camp Kumakami! It is now 8 am. Get out there, you brats, and make the most of it!”

Shizuka groaned at the sound of Monokuma’s voice. It cut through the fog of her waking brain, dragging her back to the pains of reality. Part of her had hoped that everything she remembered from the previous day was only some kind of weird nightmare. Instead, she pushed herself up from her shogi-themed bed. Sunlight filtered through the blinds on her window, leaving thin slits across the room. She stumbled over to the door to her left. It opened on a fairly standard bathroom - toilet, sink, shower. Within a minute, the water was hot, and steam began to fill the room.

Shizuka stepped out of the shower renewed. She dried off, then opened the dresser. Tucked inside were at least a dozen copies of her school uniform, perfectly pressed. She rummaged through them, but there wasn’t a single other article of clothing to be found. Sighing, she slipped one set on and walked out.

“Hey! Good morning, Shizuka-chan!” She turned her head to see Hikari close the door to her own cabin. The Lucky Student waved, the bracelets on her arm jangling with the motion. “Did you sleep well?”

Her energy was infectious, and a smile crept to Shizuka’s face. “I was hoping this would all be just a nightmare, but I have to admit I do feel better. How about you?”

Hikari grinned and mimed a few punches in the air. “I always feel better after eight good hours. I feel like I could take on the world!” Spinning in the direction of the nearest camera, she stuck out her tongue. “I bet I could even make those Monomonsters cry!”

Chuckling, Shizuka put a hand on her shoulder. “Easy there, killer. That’s against the rules, remember? I’d hate to see you get... you know.”

Hikari’s shoulders slumped for a moment before she returned to bursting with enthusiam. “Yeah, well. We’re still going to figure something out! You and me, Shi-chan!”

The Shogi Player couldn’t stop herself from giggling. “Alright, Hikari. Let’s head back to the mess hall. We could use some breakfast.”

As they turned the corner at the end of the path, an unexpected sight appeared. In the center of the parade field, Nori and Akira stood opposite each other, fists raised. Even at a distance, Shizuka could see bruises on the Basketballer’s face. The boys circled each other, and then Akira lunged, swinging a wide punch. Nori turned, took the hit on his shoulder, and countered with a punch that smashed into Akira’s cheek. The skinnier boy spun, landing face-first into the grass.

Hikari gasped, trying to hide her face in her hands. Shizuka opened her mouth to shout, but her voice wouldn’t come.

“Ow! Damn, dude, you’re a friggin’ wall!” Akira groaned as he got to his feet. “I swear, do you like, eat bricks or something?”

Nori sneered as he raised his fists again. “I thought you ball-players were supposed to be strong. You hit like a little girl. Fuck, my nana could knock you over.”

Finally, Shizuka swallowed and stammered, “W-What are you doing?”

“Oh! Ladies!” Akira immediately sidestepped the Bully and ran a hand through his hair, trying to distract from the growing purple welt on his face. “Y’know, just two dudes, doing a little sparring. Just working those muscles with my bro Nori here, keeping in shape.” He tried to clap an arm around Nori’s shoulders, but the boy smacked it away.

“Are you sure?” Shizuka pointed. “It looks like your face is-”

“What, this?” Akira shrugged, laughing. “It’s nothing! My main man Nori can throw a mean punch, but I can take it. I was just letting him get warmed up so we could really cut loose.”

Shizuka shook her head, sighing. “If you say so.”

“Akira!” From behind the Shogi Player, Tsukiko rushed forward. “Your face! Are you alright?”

He grinned as the Waitress reached for his swelling cheek. “Hey, you think this can phase me? Nah, babe, I get worse than this rolling out of bed.” Beside him, Nori scowled and spit into the grass.

“Still, we need to get ice on this to stop the swelling. Come with me. The first aid tent isn’t fair.” She grabbed his arm and firmly dragged him away, seeming unaware of his widening grin.

With another sigh, Shizuka waved Hikari to continue on to the mess hall.

The smell of grilling fish met them at the door. Growling from Hikari’s stomach reminded them that they hadn’t eaten last night. Shizuka looked out over the rows of tables. At the far end, Sho sat alone with a small bowl of rice and a paperback book. He almost aggressively ignored their entrance. One of the tables near the center was already full. Chicako and Hinata sat across from Yasu and Kaoru, all talking and laughing; Chicako gave them a wave as she heard the door open.

Hikari quickly moved to take the empty table next to the other four, and Shizuka took the seat across from her. The four beside them turned to include them in the conversation.

“I’m telling you, it was worth 10 million yen,” Chicako preened. “I had to pull a classic Cat’s Second Cry to even get a chance to swipe it. But I’m not the scourge of the Tokyo underworld for nothing!”

Hinata chuckled, placing a hand on the back of the Thief’s chair. “Yamasaki-san, that’s just plum impossible. No store, not even in downtown Shibuya, would keep a jewel that valuable out in the open. It would be just begging for someone to break a window and snatch it.”

Yasu snickered. “Sounds like someone did.”

“Hey!” Chicako planted her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks. “I don’t just smash’n’grab! I’m a thief, not a... a... bad thief!”

Giggling, Hikari reached out and patted the tall girl’s head. “I believe you, Chi-chan! Tell me, what’s a Cat’s Second Cry? Is it a secret thief technique passed down from master thief to apprentice for generations?”

The Thief’s frown instantly flipped back to a confident grin. “Actually, it’s a technique I invented myself! It’s absolute genius. The first step is to get a pair of old socks...”

Smiling and sighing, Shizuka turned to Kaoru. “Something smells fantastic. Is someone making breakfast?”

The Cameraman nodded. “Hibiki’s been in the kitchen since this place opened up. I think Taiki’s in there helping out.” He smiled. “For such a little guy, he’s bursting with energy.”

With a nod, Shizuka pushed herself up from the seat. “I think I’ll see if they need help. Save my spot?”

She bowed as Kaoru nodded, then slipped between the tables until she reached the kitchen door. Hibiki stood in front of a large stove, pushing slices of salmon around a large pan with a metal spoon. On the counter to the left were lines of pickled vegetables, chopped into bite-sized pieces. A large bowl of miso soup sat on the back burner at a low simmer. Hibiki wore a pair of thin plastic gloves and a white apron; despite preparing fish, vegetables, and soup all at once, the apron was spotless. She turned her head at the sound of the door and smiled. “Good morning, Shizuka. Can I help you?”

The Shogi Player blushed. “A-Actually, Hibiki, I was going to ask you that. Did you do all of this yourself? This is incredible.”

Hibiki gave a slight curtsy, using the hand not holding the stirring spoon. “It’s no trouble. A little organization and preparation makes any task manageable. And I do have some help from Taiki. As soon as he saw me, he insisted on helping. I have him preparing and plating the rice. Perhaps he could use some assistance?”

Shizuka leaned to her right, seeing the tiny Architect standing on a stool in front of a large bowl. He held a metal scoop in one hand and, sticking out his tongue and scrunching his forehead in concentration, pulled out a ball of rice and plopped it onto a plate. She looked back at the Editor and shook her head. “He looks like he’s found his rhythm. I don’t want to disturb him. When you’re ready to serve, I can help then.”

She pushed out the kitchen door back into the mess hall. The group in the middle had grown in the few minutes she’d been away; Minako had taken the seat next to Hikari and seemed to be in a heated discussion with Chicako and Hikari, while Katsu sat at the other end with Fuyuko trying to sleep on his shoulder. Shizuka wound her way through the tables and took her seat next to Kaoru and across from Hikari.

“That’s ridiculous! No law enforcement official would be fooled by fake hair!” Minako was fired up, punctuating her remarks with a fist slammed onto the table.

“Actually,” Yasu leaned back and folded her arms over her chest, “it’s not that hard to make synthetic hair that passes basic chemical tests. A city forensics department isn’t going to have a centrifuge powerful enough to sniff out a well-made fake.”

The Debater’s jaw dropped. “I can’t believe you’d back her up! She’s advocating using science for nefarious ends! She’s perverting the good name of your passion!”

Yasu pulled her arms back behind her head, cradling it as she leaned back. “Hey, I didn’t say I was in favor of thievery. I was just setting the record straight.” She grinned. “And who doesn’t enjoy a good perversion now and then?”

Mercifully, the kitchen door swung open, and Taiki, with grains of rice in his gray hair, pushed a cart loaded with plates. Each had a small ball of rice, a few slices of salmon, and a handful of pickle slices. Balanced between the plates were bottles of soy sauce. The boy walked over to the main group and began handing out plates. “Here’s one for you, Hikari-san! And Hinata-san, and Shizuka-san, and Yasu-san.” He paused a moment when he reached the end. “And yours, Katsu, and one for you, Fuyuko-chan.”

The Mathematician poked the Accountant with a finger and slid the plate in front of her. After an exaggerated yawn, she picked up her chopsticks. Taiki delicately placed a bottle of soy sauce in front of her, bowed, and started pushing the empty cart back to the kitchen.

“Mmmmmmph!” Kaoru slid back in his seat as he took his first bite. “This is amazing! No, freaking incredible! I’ve been to premiere banquets with worse food.”

Hinata popped a bite into his mouth and sighed. “Heavens above, you ain’t lying. Are we sure Honda-san isn’t secretly the Ultimate Chef?”

At the sound of her name, Hibiki stepped out of the kitchen and gave a deep curtsy. “Thank you for your kind words, but no, I’m no professional chef. I simply enjoy the fruits of a job well planned.”

Shizuka slid a slice of salmon onto her tongue. It was perfect - the texture was slick but layered, the seasoning subtle yet supportive of the fish’s natural taste. “Hibiki... don’t sell yourself short. You’re amazing.”

Around the table, everyone savored their meals. Hinata and Minako seemed to treasure every bite, while Chicako and Fuyuko rushed through the bowl as though bearing a grudge. 

When the final bites were swallowed, Minako stood up and moved into the most open space in the hall. “Is everyone done? I know we’re missing some of us. Does anyone know where they are?”

Hikari’s hand shot up. “Shikuza-chan and I saw Akira and Nori this morning! They were fighting, but not seriously. Just boy stuff.”

Shizuka nodded. “They looked like they were sparring. I don’t think they were trying to seriously hurt each other, but Akira did end up with some bad bruising. Tsukiko took him to the medical tent. I’m guessing they’re still there.”

Minako nodded. “I have a feeling Nori isn’t going to join us, and Ryuichi still needs some encouragement. So!” She clapped her hands. “Let’s spend the rest of the day getting to know one another. Monokuma and Monokami want us to distrust each other, so I think we should do the opposite. Make a new friend! Learn a perspective you wouldn’t have considered. We can do this. We’re students of Hope’s Peak, after all.”

Taiki burst from the kitchen, eyes twinkling. “Yeah! Nobody can stop us! We’re going to be the best of friends!”

A murmur spread amongst the group before Minako clapped her hands again. “Let’s make a promise right now, okay? We’re going to spend some time bonding, and then we can meet back up for dinner. We’ll play a teambuilding game then, and we’ll have a great dinner. Hibiki, is it okay to entrust our meals to you? If you need extra help, I’ll personally make sure you get it.”

The Editor gave another curtsy and smile. “I’d be delighted to prepare another meal for you. We can’t learn if we don’t practice.” She raised a single finger. “May I make a request? Taiki has already helped me so much; I don’t want to place all of the burden on him. I’d like to ask that a different person help me with each meal. It’s a wonderful bonding opportunity, and I’d cherish the chance to work with each of you individually.”

Minako nodded. “That’s reasonable. I’ll draft up a kitchen assistant schedule with room for volunteers. So!” She clapped. “Get out there and make some new friends! We’re going to beat Camp Kumakami together!”

The students dispersed, heading back to familiar locations.

Shizuka returned to her cabin, taking a moment to wash her face. Spending time with her classmates was probably a good idea. Who would she decide to hang out with?


	5. Chapter 5

As Shizuka reached for the doorknob, she heard something - scratching, metallic, on the other side of the door. She frowned, ducking and pressing her ear to the strangely cool wood. The noise was careful, methodical, with only a hesitant, quiet breath interrupting it. She hesitated, thoughts spiralling, before she instantly snatched the knob and threw open the door.

“...What are you doing, Chicako?” Shizuka looked down at the Thief.

She held a pair of thin metal pieces in her hands, holding them directly before her face. As before, she stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth. When the door rushed out of her reach, she looked utterly stunned. “Oh, hey, Shizuka. ‘Sup?”

The Shogi Player frowned and planted her hands on her hips. “Why are you trying to pick my cabin’s lock?”

Grinning guiltily, Chicako rubbed the back of her neck. “Weeeeeeelllllll... I already tried to pick Hinata’s lock and he told me to stop, and I don’t want to piss off Nori, and I bet that Ryuichi already reinforced his lock with his nerd powers...”

“Do the physical locks even do anything? I thought this was all electronic.”

The Thief smirked. “Actually, as an expert in security systems, I immediately figured out that the hand scanner just manipulates the lock mechanisms. It’s like they added high-tech upgrades to an ordinary door. If you pick the real lock, you still get into the room.”

“Why are you trying to pick a lock at all?”

Chicako’s golden eyes flashed. “Because when I tried earlier, that bear appeared and said the locks are perfectly foolproof. There’s no way to break them or hack them or pick them. And that’s clearly a challenge to my skills!”

Shizuka shook her head and sighed. “Then why not try it on your own door?”

“Because I can already get in there, duh!” The Thief grabbed Shizuka’s skirt and pulled. “Now hurry, you’re in my way. I’m going to have this cracked before lunch.”

The move threw Shizuka off-balance, and she ended up sitting in the dirt next to Chicako. Grumbling, she hauled herself up and dusted off her skirt and socks. “Did you really get into Hope’s Peak?”

“Duh! I’m the best thief there is!” Chicako stopped to strike a dramatic pose. “I’ve been training since I was a kid. When people think about the best, classiest burglars, it’s not going to be Arsene Lupin that comes to mind - it’s going to be me!”

Shizuka paused. “You wanted to be a thief when you grew up?”

“Sure. Thieves are cool! They’re mysterious, and super dramatic, and they get to be rich!” She grinned and twirled one of her picks around her finger. “Didn’t you want to be a famous shogi player as a kid?”

Shaking her head, Shizuka chuckled. “I think I wanted to be a pop idol or a princess. I loved the game, but I only started taking it seriously once my grandfather convinced a tournament to let a ten-year-old play.”

Chicako returned to wiggling the picks in the lock. “My brothers would get me old manga and novels about great thieves. That’s how I learned to read. And I designed a costume and swore I’d become a legend and get us a fancy house. We’d have a European butler, and rooms just for our shoes, and a banquet every night.”

A sudden pang struck Shizuka’s mind. “…Did you, um, have… money troubles… when you were growing up?”

The Thief shrugged. “It’s not like we ever went hungry. Sure, we didn’t have much more than rice, and all five of us had to share two rooms, but we were okay. And once I finished my training, we were better off. But I’m still going to steal the biggest jewels from around the world and set them up right.”

Shizuka gave a small smile and nodded. “Well, I’m going to go to the mess hall. If… when you get through that lock, let me know.”

Chicako nodded. “I’ve almost got it, I’m sure of it!”

—

Hibiki hummed as she chopped. The knife was sharp and well-balanced, perfect for dicing vegetables. Whoever had outfitted the kitchen went for high-quality utensils; there were whisks for beating eggs, silver spatulas, spoons in every conceivable size, and even a powerful food processor for blending. Currently she had set out the ingredients she would need for dinner on color-coded chopping boards - green for vegetables, red for meat, and blue for fish. The pantry and refrigerator were stocked with enough food to last them at least for a week, so she felt comfortable indulging a little.

Behind her, the door opened. “Hello, Hibiki. I volunteered to be your first assistant.” Tsukiko’s voice was warm. “I hope that’s alright.”

The Editor looked back over her shoulder and smiled. “Of course. Please, make yourself comfortable.” She pointed her knife at the large cut of pork on the red board. “Tonight’s special will be miso chasu ramen. The noodles are chilling, so we’ll need to chop the vegetables, roast the pork, and prepare the broth. If you could season and slice that for me, we can move it into the oven.”

“Certainly.” Tsukiko gave a small bow. “Where is the spice rack?”

Hibiki frowned slightly. “There’s salt and pepper over there. Did you need more?”

“Actually, the chef at my restaurant had a blend he used to bring out hidden flavors in meat. I believe I remember it. Would you mind if I tried?”

Smiling wider, Hibiki pointed to one of the cabinets hanging on the wall. “Everything should be in there. If you don’t mind me asking, what is this blend?”

The Waitress pulled several colorful glass bottles out of the cabinet. “A pinch of garlic powder, some ground ginger, a few chili flakes, and just a dash of cumin along with the salt and pepper.” She began mixing the spices in a small bowl. “We season the meat and leave it to rest for at least twenty minutes. I believe that allows the spices to infuse the roast.”

Hibiki nodded. “I defer to your expertise. Perhaps you should be the chef here.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” Tsukiko lowered her head.

“It’s quite alright.” The Editor pushed the diced spinach aside and began on the bamboo shoots. “All that matters is that the final product is the best we can provide.”

Tsukiko rubbed the spice blend over the pork. “Of course. The customer’s experience is the most important thing.” She giggled. “And I guess we’re going to be customers tonight too.”

—

She shoved the bottles aside. “C’mon, I know you’re here somewhere.”

“What do you think you’re doing, making that racket?” Sho stood in the entrance to the medical tent, arms crossed over his chest. He tapped his foot irritably.

Yasu glanced over at him and shrugged. “Taking stock of the supplies here. I know the first time we were in here I saw a case of insulin, but the sneaky little bastard is hiding.”

The Critic cocked an eyebrow. “You’re diabetic?”

“Not me, Ryuichi. He asked, and I told him I’d do him a solid.” She took another set of labelled beakers out of the cabinet and set them on the counter, oblivious to the loud clank.

Sho rolled his eyes and sneered. “Of course. I should have known it would be him.”

Yasu stood up and scowled. “Hey, no need to be a dick, dude. He may be kinda gross, but he seems like a decent guy. And he’s our classmate. And unlike someone in this tent, he’s been actually pretty cool to people.”

His hazel eyes met her crystal blues. “I happen to take pride in my fair and accurate assessments. I show leniency to no one, particularly not someone so useless.”

“Oh, is that sense of superiority all that gets you off, ‘Unmerciful Hamisaki’?”

He flushed, sputtering, “You lewd, ridiculous…” Shaking his head to try to calm down, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “The purpose of criticism - not only mine, but the art in general - is to inspire improvement. One can’t improve if one ignores one’s faults. I am simply better at recognizing and drawing attention to them. My methods are unpleasant because I see what others won’t.”

“Or, and stick with me for a second, you’re just an ass.” Yasu knelt back down and returned to shuffling through the cabinet. “It’s not that hard to help people without insulting them.”

Sho shook his head and turned to leave. “I should know better than to talk to the likes of you.”

—

“Katsu-kun! There you are!” Fuyuko bounded through the mess hall door to sit beside him.

The Mathematician looked up from his book. “Oh, uh, hi, Fuyuko.”

“Whatcha reading?” She leaned in close, trying to look over his shoulder.

He flipped the book closed, keeping a finger to save his place. “Something Hibiki lent me. Her room’s full of books she worked on. I asked for something with a good mystery, and she gave me this.”

“Oh, you like mysteries too?” The Accountant clapped and rubbed her hands together. “Figuring out all the clues and outsmarting the bad guys is so much fun!”

Katsu nodded. “A well-written mystery is a tightly-wound system. When all of the pieces fit together, and you see the whole intricate picture, it’s really beautiful.”

“Aw, Katsu-kun, that’s poetic.” She poked him playfully in the arm.

He shrugged. “That’s kind of what I like about math, actually. It’s the biggest puzzle in the world. You pull on a string and see how it makes all of the other parts work. You could sit down with just the basic definitions and work them together until you’re dancing through differential equations and multivariate calculus.”

Behind them, the door swung open. “Hello hello hello!” Taiki’s voice was loud and bold as he rounded the table to sit across from Fuyuko. “How are my friends today? What are we talking about?”

Katsu held up the book. “Mysteries. And puzzles, I guess.”

“Aha! A fellow puzzle-lover!” The Architect beamed. “And you too, Fuyuko? You look like the kind of genius who eats puzzles for breakfast.”

She flushed, stammering, “W-Well of course! It’s like you were saying, Katsu-kun; math and accounting are big, beautiful problems for us to solve.”

“I’ve often thought that architecture is like that as well. I have a vision, a feeling or an experience I want to convey, and I have to use both math and art to see it through.” His round face bobbed as he gestured for emphasis. “That’s what we have in common, right? A passion for our talents, and a love of numbers! Team Prime!”

Katsu smiled and nodded. “Team Prime.”

—

Sudden light pouring into the room made Ryuichi flinch. He swiveled his chair to see who it was.

“Hey, Ryuichi. Sorry if I spooked you.” Kaoru gave a small wave with two fingers. “Just came to check out the computers here.” He took a seat next to the Recluse. “What’s installed on them?”

The large student visibly relaxed. “O-Oh, nothing too good. It’s mostly programming suites and media software. It’s probably nothing you care about.”

“Bummer.” The Cameraman leaned back in his chair. “I was hoping there might be a game or two on one.”

Ryuichi’s eyes lit up. “Y-You game too?”

“Yeah, a little,” Kaoru nodded. “There’s a lot of downtime on the set, so I had to find something to do.” He chuckled. “It hasn’t been long, but I already miss GalRobo Dx.”

The Recluse quickly fumbled in the pocket of his jeans before producing a handheld game system. “That’s my favorite series! Which mech do you main? Have you played four? That’s the best entry easily, the combat is deeper than when they rehauled it for six and the level design is so much tighter and they finally wrote Killstar properly and-“

“Easy there, buddy.” Kaoru put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. “Dx is my first one.”

Ryuichi looked down at the system in his hands before holding it out to the Cameraman. “I have all of them in my cabin. You should play them! M-Maybe then we can talk about it?”

Smiling, Kaoru took the gift and slid it gently into his pocket. “Sure thing. Sounds like fun.”

—

The sun began to dip below the fences as Shizuka arrived for dinner. Despite the circumstances, it had actually been a decent day. Monokuma and Monokami hadn’t appeared beyond that dumb wake-up call, and nobody seemed to be that concerned about their threats. There wasn’t much to do, but it could be worse.

She opened the door to the mess hall to a wave of sounds and smells. Already two groups were deep in conversation; Taiki, Fuyuko, Katsu, and Minako were in the middle of some sort of argument, while Kaoru, Hinata, and Hikari sat at another table with what appeared to be playing cards. The air was thick with the rich aromas of meat and broth.

Shizuka took a seat next to Hikari, glancing over her shoulder at the cards in her hand. “Who’s winning?”

Kaoru sighed and slid his cards face-down to the middle of the table. “Not me, that’s for sure. I fold.”

Hikari frowned, leaning forward and staring deeply into the Salesman’s eyes. “Oh, he’s good. His poker face is almost unbeatable. Buuuut…” she tapped the table with a finger. “I think my luck’s got him beat. I call.”

“You sure about that, Koizumi-san?” Hinata’s face was completely blank.

The Lucky Student grinned. “Yep. I’m calling your bluff.”

Hinata broke into a smile and laid out his cards. “I’m afraid I ain’t bluffing. Three nines beats the… I’m guessing high pair you have.”

“Wha-!” Hikari dropped her pair of Jacks along with her jaw. “Are you a mind reader?”

Chuckling, the Salesman scooped up all the cards and slid them under the draw deck. “Just a people reader, and I picked up your tell.” He started to deal out new hands. “Would you like to buy in, Nishimura-san?”

Shizuka raised an eyebrow. “Buy in? With what?”

The Cameraman pulled out his Monophone and flicked through a few screens. “This showed up sometime last night.” He held it up for her to see. A new tab on the menu read ‘Wallet’, and he clicked it to show a golden coin bearing Monokuma’s jagged red eye. Above it was printed the number 1. Shizuka drew her own Monophone from her pocket and checked her wallet - identical, except for a 5 in place of the 1. Kaoru shrugged. “I went to the camp store earlier and tried to use one of the vending machines. It took a coin from my wallet, and I bought this deck.”

“And the other four?”

With a defeated smile, he pointed his thumb at Hinata. “Turns out I’m no good at poker.”

“I am!” Chicako crashed into the empty seat beside Hikari. “Deal me in, and witness the power of my Shadow Eye.”

“Make that two.” Yasu slid into the seat beside Kaoru. She cracked her knuckles as Hinata began dealing.

Shizuka smiled and nodded at the two newcomers. “So, Chicako. Did you make it into my room?”

The Thief scowled. “I’m, like, this close. I swear I’ll have it.”

Yasu raised a thin eyebrow. “What?”

Before Shizuka could answer, the door to the kitchen burst open. Tsukiko pushed a large metal cart loaded with steaming bowls across the mess hall, placing one and a pair of chopsticks in front of everyone. She flashed a bright smile and gave a slight bow with each. “Presenting tonight’s main dish - miso chase ramen.”

The commotion died, replaced with the sounds of slurping soup and satisfied sighs. Hibiki stepped out of the kitchen, rubbing her hands. “Is everything up to your liking?”

“Hibiki, you’ve outdone yourself,” Minako said. “Everything tastes amazing.”

Curtsying, the Editor shook her head. “I can’t take all of the credit. My simple recipe would be nothing without the brilliant contributions of my wonderful assistant. Please, give all of your thanks to Tsukiko.”

Kaoru stood and began to clap, Minako followed, and then the entire class was applauding. A warmth spread through Shizuka’s chest unrelated to the hot meal. Maybe they were trapped, but they were together. No matter what those monsters tried to do, they wouldn’t turn on each other.


End file.
